Buyer's Guide to Tile and Grout Cleaning Machines

Overview

Tile is often the material of choice for heavily trafficked areas, such as bathrooms, kitchens and many residential commercial and industrial surfaces. Though the surface is long wearing, cleaning and maintaining it can be complicated and choosing the right tile and grout cleaning system is critical.

Here's why: Tile can be porous or non-porous. Grout poses separate challenges because of its porosity and tendency for pores to become embedded with dirt and grime. In addition, tile and grout cleaning system providers generally offer three different types of machines for cleaning tile and grout.

This buyer's guide examines the three technologies -- vapor steam cleaners, wet steam pressure washers and hard surface cleaners -- and matches them to the best applications.

Vapor Steam Cleaners

These tile and grout cleaning machines employ dry steam that is typically 5 percent water vapor. Steam cleaners are ideal for cleaning grout and sealed tile in environments without drainage in which water supply, water flow and overflow are concerns. The systems are highly portable and can be purchased with or without integrated extraction units.

Key features:

Continuous refill/operation

For larger applications, choose machines with built-in refill chambers, such as Daimer®'s KleenJet® Pro Plus 300CS.

Vacuum extraction systems

For higher volume jobs, systems like the KleenJet® Mega 1000CV, incorporate commercial vacuum systems that removes excess moisture while cleaning, which saves on towel or hand wiping.

Advanced sanitization capabilities

Steam cleaners with ionizing technologies can disinfect and kill dangerous germs, such as E. coli and molds. Daimer®'s KleenJet® 5000CVP machine includes a proprietary ATIS® ionizing technology that supports an EPA-compliant, germ killing technology.

Wet Steam Pressure Washers

Power washers for tile and grout cleaning generate high temperatures and pressure levels for cutting grease in porous and non-porous environments with drainage. Choose pressure washers that generate psi levels ranging from 750 to 1500 psi and flow rates to 5 GPM. These systems can be used on tiled surfaces found in food service facilities, locker rooms and many other environments. Popular Daimer® wet steam pressure washers include the Super Max™ 7000.

Key features:

High temperature steam

Super-pressurized 330ºF dense steam cuts grease, food build up and other kinds of commercial grime.

Water flow

Rated in GPM (gallons/minute), water flow measures the water output. The greater the output the greater the tile and grout cleaning power.

Hard Surface Cleaning Machines

These tile and grout cleaning systems are equipped with motorized spinning heads that are designed for larger-scale, commercial porous and non-porous applications. Daimer® machines come in two variations: self-contained hard surface cleaners such as the HSC 13000 and 14000 and super-heated models (HSC 13250 and higher) that offer high-temperature cleaning for the heaviest grease build ups. The machines can also handle indoor applications with minimal drainage and outdoor tile-cleaning applications.

Key features:

Powered spinning heads

These rotary cleaning heads penetrate dirty pores of unsealed tile and grout to force out embedded dirt. Daimer® offers patented heads in two sizes: 9-inch and 19-inches. (Either size head can be used with any HSC machine.)

Floor jet squeegees

These heads are designed for corners and tight areas where spinning heads will not fit. Daimer® offers a 12-inch, four jet squeegee wand.

Heating and pressure units

Daimer® sells unheated units, like the 13000, that can accept water as hot as 140ºF from an external source. The heated tile and grout cleaning machines offer cleaning temperatures up to 210ºF.